The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 335 event will be headlined by a BMF title fight between Charles Oliveira and Diego Lopes in Las Vegas. The highly anticipated bout is set to take place on Saturday, December 12, and will be broadcast live on Paramount Plus.
BMF Title Fight Headlines UFC 335
As confirmed by Sherdog, Charles Oliveira and Diego Lopes will compete for the BMF (Baddest Motherf***er) title. The clash between these two prominent fighters will serve as the main event for UFC 335, marking a significant moment for the championship.
Pereira Faces Pavlovich in Co-Main Event
Adding to the card’s excitement, Alex Pereira is slated to face Sergei Pavlovich in a five-round co-main event at UFC 335. This match-up, reported by MMA Fighting, sees Pereira return to the octagon in a prominent position, despite recent discussions surrounding his heavyweight title prospects.
Dana White Explains Pereira’s Heavyweight Title Absence
UFC CEO Dana White recently addressed why Alex Pereira was not selected for a heavyweight title shot at an upcoming event, opting instead for Josh Hokit to face Ciryl Gane at UFC 334 on November 14. White’s explanation, detailed by Fighters Only, shed light on the promotion’s decision-making process.
Pereira had been subject to speculation for another shot at gold following Tom Aspinall’s decision to vacate the heavyweight title due to injury recovery. However, White dismissed the idea that matchups are primarily based on popularity. “We make fights based on star power? We make fights based on who is the best in the world, who deserves to be there,” White stated during a media scrum. He emphasised that Pereira is “coming off a loss right now against Ciryl Gane” – a defeat where Gane captured the interim heavyweight championship at UFC Freedom 250.
Despite not getting the immediate title fight, White affirmed that Pereira remains firmly in the heavyweight title picture. “Yeah, he’s in there. It’s not like he has to do anything to come close to the title shot. He’s in it right now,” he added, characterising Pereira’s current situation as a “timing issue” rather than a permanent exclusion from contention. White concluded, “He’ll get his shot.”
